Why Childhood Trauma Doesn’t Always Go Away
No child should experience trauma, but unfortunately, many children do. Children who experience trauma, especially at young ages, may carry this pain or confusion through their lives, and not even have the words to express how or why it is affecting them. Research on childhood trauma is lifting the lid on how a person’s past […]
No child should experience trauma, but unfortunately, many children do. Children who experience trauma, especially at young ages, may carry this pain or confusion through their lives, and not even have the words to express how or why it is affecting them. Research on childhood trauma is lifting the lid on how a person’s past can affect their future and how a person can heal.
Definitions of Childhood Trauma
According to an article on “The Biological Effects of Childhood Trauma,” trauma in children is a strong psychological, psychosocial, medical, and public policy problem that has significant consequences for the victims. Trauma can mean a lot of different scenarios: children of war, children who have experienced forms of abuse or neglect, and children who have witnessed crimes or experienced homelessness are a few examples of how a child could be exposed to trauma. A widespread myth about children is that, because they are little, they will not remember traumatic experiences in which they may not have felt safe or been severely hurt. Children do remember the trauma, but they do not have the capacity to verbalize it, often even into adulthood. For example, a child who was not often fed or nurtured in their infancy and toddler years may experience reactive attachment disorders, issues with food and food security, issues with stealing, shoplifting, or hoarding food, and issues with anxiety/stress stemming around trust. The child will not always know why they feel so strongly about knowing where they get their next meal in their teen years, but as a mode of survival, they will do anything to know they have food available.Mental Health Effects of Childhood Trauma
Children who experience childhood trauma are at greater risk for mental health disorders. There are many mental health disorders a child who has experienced trauma will develop. A few of these mental health disorders include:- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (PTSS)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Increased Risk for Alcohol and Substance Abuse
- Antisocial behaviors
- Reactive-Attachment Disorder
- Cognitive deficits and social deficits
